Wine region hit by fiery blast
The beautiful Yarra Valley wine region east of Melbourne consisted only police roadblocks and smouldering land early this week.
Locals told of a fierce, unpredictable fire that raced down hills and up gullies destroying homes, schools, farm sheds and vineyards.
For Karen Mitchell, of Steels Creek, returning to her burnt-out home at 3 o'clock on Sunday morning it was "like a scene from Armageddon".
"There were different-sized flames, red and orange, dancing around the sky," she said.
Hours earlier Mrs Mitchell's life had perhaps been saved when police turned her around at a fork in the road just before the fire swept over a ridge and set about razing properties.
Despite losing her home and all the sentimental things such as her children's baby clothes and wedding pictures, she realised others had been dealt worse hands.
"There are still families unaccounted for," she said.
The true extent of the damage to small Yarra Valley communities such as Steels Creek, Dixons Creek and Chum Creek was impossible to tell yesterday, with many of the roads leading to the towns — and to some of Victoria's best-known wineries — now declared "crime scenes" by local police.
"It's so ravaged up there.
"There's still people missing," said one officer pointing to the upper Yarra Valley.
Dozens of houses are believed to have been destroyed at Steels Creek, Dixons Creek, Chums Creek and elsewhere through the Yarra Valley.
The Yarra Glen CFA confirmed the Roundstone winery and bistro at Yarra Glen had been gutted.
Nearby, the Sticks winery had rows of blackened vines.
Greg Wallace, of Chums Creek, told how he and his brothers used 19,000 litres of tank water to keep 30-metre-high flames from enveloping his house.
At 7 o'clock on Saturday night, after getting his wife, children and dogs to safety, Mr Wallace had his first encounter with the fire lighting up the massive gum trees across the road from his house.
The fire returned at 4am on Sunday, far fiercer and nearer to his home.
Wine region hit by fiery blast
RICHARD BAKER AND JEWEL TOPSFIELD
9/02/2009 5:18:00 PM
The beautiful Yarra Valley wine region east of Melbourne consisted only police roadblocks and smouldering land early this week.
Locals told of a fierce, unpredictable fire that raced down hills and up gullies destroying homes, schools, farm sheds and vineyards.
For Karen Mitchell, of Steels Creek, returning to her burnt-out home at 3 o'clock on Sunday morning it was "like a scene from Armageddon".
"There were different-sized flames, red and orange, dancing around the sky," she said.
Hours earlier Mrs Mitchell's life had perhaps been saved when police turned her around at a fork in the road just before the fire swept over a ridge and set about razing properties.
Despite losing her home and all the sentimental things such as her children's baby clothes and wedding pictures, she realised others had been dealt worse hands.
"There are still families unaccounted for," she said.
The true extent of the damage to small Yarra Valley communities such as Steels Creek, Dixons Creek and Chum Creek was impossible to tell yesterday, with many of the roads leading to the towns — and to some of Victoria's best-known wineries — now declared "crime scenes" by local police.
"It's so ravaged up there.
"There's still people missing," said one officer pointing to the upper Yarra Valley.
Dozens of houses are believed to have been destroyed at Steels Creek, Dixons Creek, Chums Creek and elsewhere through the Yarra Valley.
The Yarra Glen CFA confirmed the Roundstone winery and bistro at Yarra Glen had been gutted.
Nearby, the Sticks winery had rows of blackened vines.
Greg Wallace, of Chums Creek, told how he and his brothers used 19,000 litres of tank water to keep 30-metre-high flames from enveloping his house.
At 7 o'clock on Saturday night, after getting his wife, children and dogs to safety, Mr Wallace had his first encounter with the fire lighting up the massive gum trees across the road from his house.
The fire returned at 4am on Sunday, far fiercer and nearer to his home.